Making Course Connections

I know I’m not alone when I was forced to change my major 3 years in to college. The thought of having only 1 year left and wanting to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree seemed almost impossible. Something that I am thankful for is having Interdisciplinary Studies save me and the position that I was in. This major helped me see that I wasn’t lost or stupid for changing my major 3 years in. Graduating with a Health Science degree is something that is fit for me. Because of IDS, I see how I can better integrate myself into courses. It is easier to think outside the box and make more connections with different subjects and find that adjunct of information in between the two. There are two courses that I am taking this semester that I want to discuss. The first one is Disease, Safety & Environment with Lynn Bates and the second is Science or Superstition with George Matthews.

Disease, Safety & Environment was a class that I wanted to take because I figured it would be information that was not new to me. I have taken multiple science & health

By Ryleigh Stearns

related courses at Plymouth State and with all of the knowledge I have, this class would be a breeze. So I was right about one thing, this class is a breeze for me. No, it is not because this class is easy, it’s because a good amount of the information discussed isinformation that I already know from previous classes. Professor Lynn Bates has a different teaching style that I am used to and because of that, I am learning the information better. Because I was previously a Nursing major, I have been taking multiple health classes. Nursing on it’s own is interdisciplinary but it is not until now that I truly understood why. The thought of this helps me feel much more confident in my study and helps me feel like I made the right choice with switching my major.

The next course I want to discuss is Science or Superstition. To be honest, I chose this class because it had the word “science” in it and I am all for a good science class. I’m pretty sure almost half of my 120 credits are science courses. So this class was absolutely nothing like I expected. We don’t have exams, we don’t have papers, and it is very informal assignments. By this I mean it is closely related to my Intro to IDS class. I get to

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choose what I want to write about on our class blog and I can seriously write about anything that I want that has to do with science. I have honestly learned so much from this class because it forces you to look up information that you have always wanted to know about like why people are so afraid of Friday the 13th. There is so much freedom in this course which is not something that I am used to at all. Professor Matthews is also hilarious and keeps my attention throughout the class that I am in. This course encourages me to explore more information on my own. To me, that is a big part of my IDS journey.

Something that I have learned through IDS, is that it is okay to not know exactly what you are going to do out of college. It is okay to go back to school. And it is okay to switch your major s year before you are going to graduate. By following what my gut has told me, I discovered two courses that have enhanced my learning and allowed me to expand my horizon. I have learned that I need to have more confidence in what I know because I am smarter than I actually think. Thanks to IDS, I see a strong future for myself.

One Reply to “Making Course Connections”

I love how you talk about encountering familiar material, but seeing it in a new, more integrated way. I can hear how confident you are in your understanding, and it’s really exciting to watch!

George Matthews is one of my favorite people at PSU, so it was fun to hear about how the class is unfolding. I love how the freedom of the course is encouraging you to learn more and enjoy your studies, and it’s great that the course still integrates with the science at the core of your studies.